The Sales Psyched Podcast

Episode 48: Sales Lessons to Learn from Tom Brady

Today's episode focuses on how sales managers and their sales team can learn a thing or two from the famous, retired, all-star quarterback, Tom Brady. He was considered one of the best quarterbacks by teammates and coaches alike because he possessed some of the most important personality characteristics that resonated with his entire team. Confidence, optimism, competitiveness, creativity, just to name a few. And guess what? These same characteristics are what separates Hunter salespeople from the rest of the pack. Just as Tom Brady carried his team and seized victory, you too can rise to the occasion and lead your sales team to success!

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 
Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 18: Great Coaches Treat Each Player Differently
• Ep 29: The #1 Thing a Sales Manager Can Do For a Salesperson
• Ep 43: Passion is Contagious and Compelling in Sales

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request

-- Transcript

[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[Sales Psyched intro music plays]
 
[00:30]  Chris Croner: In today's episode we're going to talk about a person who many call the ultimate professional.

[00:33]  As you know, Tom Brady just retired after finishing his 22nd season and as he looks back on his career, let's stop and pay tribute to this ultimate competitor. Confident, competitive, cool under fire, creative, brings out the best in his teammates.

[00:52]  For you sales managers you're the quarterback of a team of competitive, high performance sales athletes. You need to be confident because your salespeople are watching you and confidence is contagious.

[01:05]   Of course you're competitive and able to bring out the fire of competitiveness in your team. But you also need to be cool under fire when all hell is breaking loose on client pursuit and deadlines.

[01:17]   And for you salespeople, like Brady, sometimes you have to step outside the pocket and improvise because selling doesn't always follow the perfect script. In fact, it rarely does.

[01:30]  The other thing that's so impressive about Tom Brady is his consistency. Over many years, he's conducted himself with a demeanor that his teammates count on as the backbone and model for the entire team. Efficient, well prepared, the ultimate professional. Exactly the approach and demeanor we need to consistently bring to every sales meeting, phone call, or zoom call.

[01:53]  No matter what our role on the sales team, Tom Brady is a great role model for us all. See you next time.

[soft outro music plays]

[02:00]  Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word until next time. Take care. 

Episode 47: High Risk, High Reward in Sales

Today's episode focuses on risk taking in sales and the rewards that can follow when applied correctly. Knowing how and when to take risks is an important skill all salespeople should know and master. Not taking risks is safe and comfortable, but its also predictable. As you're listening, think of ways you can start applying some risk to your sales routine.

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 
Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 39: Try a Creative Approach to Selling
• Ep 40: How the Best Salespeople Turn Problems into Opportunities

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request

-- Transcript

[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[Sales Psyched intro music]

[00:30]  Chris Croner: Taking risks, can yield big rewards. The great thing about studying selling and persuasion is you never know where a crazy example of marketing and sales may come from.

[00:40]  This idea comes from some high school kids who are trying to get into Yale, one of the toughest colleges in the world for admission.

[00:48]  My colleague tells a story about his daughter who had a phenomenal high school career. So, they flew up to New Haven to visit Yale. It was an impressive place. Tree lined sidewalks, Gothic architecture. The whole ivy league picture. They walked around and eventually gathered in an auditorium for a presentation on how best to apply.

[01:12]  The presenter focused on the importance of the student's personal letter. The admissions committee wanted to see authenticity, creativity, intelligence, etc.

[01:23]  As a sales guy, my colleague couldn't resist asking the presenter how anyone got their letters to stand out in a sea of intelligent letters written by smart students. Did she have any examples of crazy letters that really stood out and turned their heads.

[01:37]  She laughed and said, "Well a couple come to mind." One, a student wrote the whole letter without any punctuation, but her favorite was a student who wrote her letter in a circle. Starting on the inside and growing larger and larger loops as her letter grew. My colleague asked if she was admitted and the presenter said yes, and of course the crowd laughed and applauded.

[02:02]  That's a great example of what we psychologists call, 'The Von Restorff Effect.' When everybody else zigs, you zag. It's high risk, high reward and can be particularly useful for a new company or product going up against entrenched competitors. Apple's famous sledgehammer commercial deployed this strategy and changed the perception of computers forever. See you next time.

[soft outro music]

[02:32]  Chris Croner:Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word. Until next time. Take care. 

Episode 46: March Madness With a Surprise Twist

Many of us have participated, or are at least familiar, with the pools and brackets of March Madness. It is a great and fun way to connect with your customers. But what if there was a way to elevate your March Madness and to create a contest that your clients will never forget?

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 
Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 36: Salespeople: Are You Exceeding Customer Expectations
• Ep 37: Learn to Identify Opportunities for Relationship Selling
• Ep 39: Try a Creative Approach to Selling

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request

-- Transcript

[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]

[00:30]  Chris Croner: Most of us have participated in the ritual of March Madness pools and brackets, but we know a salesperson who decided to do something a little different with the concept and this one is pretty darn original.

[00:43]  A few years ago, the Pope retired and all the cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect his successor. Our sales guy decided to do a 'Final Four' type contest on the election of the pope. He sent out all the names of the cardinals to his customers with lots of fanfare, gathered names and built up to the big day.

[01:06]  When the white smoke came out and the name was announced, everybody was pinned to their screens and the winner received a prize. Nobody ever forgot it.

[01:15]  It's great psychology to take something that's well known like March Madness or the Super Bowl and apply the familiar, great feelings associated with those platforms with variations and surprises. I've also heard it done with things like the Academy Awards, but a Pope election? Now that's original. So keep having fun out there. Sales is about emotions, raise the emotions make the sale, see you next time.

[soft melody theme music]

Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word until next time. Take care. 

Episode 45: Sell with Emotions: People Buy Dreams, Not Things
We've said it before and we'll say it again: Emotions are powerful in sales! Knowing how and when to connect to a buyer's emotions during a sales pitch will tip the scales in your favor. In today's episode, Dr. Chris Croner shares a story of how a contractor upped his sales game by learning how to sell with emotions.

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 
Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 37: Learn to Identify Opportunities for Relationship Selling
• Ep 43: Passion is Contagious and Compelling in Sales

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request

-- Transcript
[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]

[00:30]  Chris Croner: In today's episode, we're gonna talk about how to rise above commodity sales.

[00:35]  We had a client once who built decks, big beautiful decks, into the affluent segment of the market. Naturally, he felt he was the best deck builder in the area, but all his competitors said the same thing. Their websites look the same and prices for the decks were, for the most part, commoditized.

[00:57]  Our client came to us for help. So we asked him to give us his presentation. In a nutshell, he showed pictures of decks. He talked about material and angles and stability, all important things of course, but it was obvious he was missing the real point.

[01:15]  People don't buy decks, they buy dreams, they buy the vision and anticipation of the feelings and the emotions they'll experience if they make this investment.

[01:25]  We advised our deck salesperson that it was his job to find out what the prospect's vision for the deck was and literally tell a story and paint a picture of life on the deck after it's installed to be detailed and vivid. Here's where the barbecue can go. Here's where the DJ can plug in, here's where you can place the big screen tv for the Super Bowl parties and here's how I'll help you achieve that vision with my craftsmanship and experience.

[01:57]  People operate on emotion. Connect to the emotion, the vision, the dream, and you'll rise above competitors who only sell at the intellectual level. See you next time.

[soft melody theme music]

Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word until next time. Take care. 

Episode 44: Your Attitude Matters Especially in Sales
Positive and enthusiastic attitudes are magnets in sales. In episode 43, Dr. Croner focused on the psychological term, 'emotional contagion' where people literally become "infected" by someone else's positive emotions. In today's episode, emotional contagion and attitude go hand-in-hand. As your listening, think about a time when somebody's attitude, whether it was positive or negative, may have affected your purchasing decision.

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 

Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 12: Prospects Cannot Resist This Sales Psychology
• Ep 43: Passion is Contagious and Compelling in Sales

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request

-- Transcript
[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]

[00:30]  Chris Croner: Dr. Chris Croner here. In today's episode, we're going to talk about a real story from one of our clients who was actually on the buy side of a sale but learned a valuable lesson about the power of humility from a master.

[00:45] Our friend was trying to buy a new Lexus. Lexus is well known for its quality across the board, including its vehicles, its service, and even the buying experience itself, but unfortunately he ran into a dealership, and a salesperson, who must not have gotten the memo because the salesperson, instead of being respectful, came across as super casual and borderline flippant. And to top it off, when our buyer asked a question he couldn't answer, he would say he needed to speak to his manager and would disappear for up to 10 minutes leaving our client sitting at his desk.

[01:25]  Our client finally left in frustration but then called a golfing buddy who was very close friends with the general manager of a Lexus dealer across town. His buddy made the connection and the manager called him and said, "I would be happy to help you sir," and they started talking.

[01:46]  The change in attitude was startling. Not only much more immediate and upbeat, but our client noticed that the GM constantly used the word "sir" and also used our clients formal name when conversing.

[02:02] When our client went over to the dealer, he was greeted outside by the GM who continued to constantly use the word "sir." Of course, our client figured he'd be turned over to a salesperson, but the GM personally closed the deal and then walked him over to the administrator for paperwork, but he never left him alone for long.

[02:24]  Here's where this comes home. In talking to the administrator, our client learned that this particular general manager not only ran this huge dealership, the largest in the region, but was also running a second major dealership Lexus had asked him to step into to elevate.

[02:43]  According to the admin, the GM was one of the busiest, most highly paid and well respected managers in the country and yet, he took the time to handle a personal reference himself and despite his esteemed status and accomplishments, showed remarkable humility in dealing with our client throughout the process.

[03:05] Constantly elevating his self esteem with the simple courtesy of "sir" as well as using our client's formal name.

[03:15]  You see, humility when combined with confidence and expertise, can create incredibly powerful and appealing chemistry in the buyer seller relationship. RGM obviously lives by this credo, which is one of the reasons he's become a superstar in the automotive world. See you next time.

[soft melody theme music]

[03:39] Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word. Until next time. Take care.

Episode 43: Passion is Contagious and Compelling in Sales
There's no doubt about it: Emotions are powerful and they play a huge role in sales. Salespeople who are genuinely passionate and enthusiastic about their products and services have a much higher chance of closing a deal. 'Emotional Contagion' is real and you should be seizing every opportunity you can to apply it.

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 

Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 16: Sales Expert Thinks Outside the Box to Close the Deal
• Ep 22: Get to Know Your Prospects' Personalities

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request

----------
[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]   Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]

[00:30]  Chris Croner: Dr. Chris Croner here. Emotions are contagious.

[00:34]  There's a famous psychological study by Dr. Siegel Barsade in which a group of people are placed together in a room. Most are in a neutral mood, participating in the study for course credit. But one is deliberately passionate, upbeat and enthusiastic. Inevitably, almost every time the more energetic person lifts the spirits of the less energetic people. His or her passion is absolutely contagious and this works one on one all the way up to larger teams and even big crowds.

[01:08]  Psychologists call this, 'emotional contagion' and I want you to infect your buyers with your passion. You don't have to go over the top, but you should be sure that you're really, really enthused about your product or service supremely confident about its benefits.

[01:28]  If you do this consistently, I promise you the payoffs will be tremendous. So have fun. See you next time.

[soft melody theme music]

[01:40]  Chris Croner:  Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast if you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word until next time. Take care.

Episode 42: How to Sell to a Big Ego Buyer
This episode focuses on selling to big ego buyers, aka, the, 'I know best' buyers. It can be a real challenge selling to a big ego buyer, but it doesn't have to be. All you need is the right approach and a little sales psychology.

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 

Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 31: Boost Your Buyer's Self-Esteem to Sell More
• Ep 35: How to Use Reverse Psychology in Sales

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request

----------

Transcript
[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]   Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]
[00:30]  Chris Croner: Today we're gonna talk about selling to big ego buyers. There's a way to lay a little psychological jujitsu on big ego buyers that can often turn the whole conversation around in your favor. Ask him or her for some advice.

[00:48]  Think about it. The big ego folks are usually 'know it all's', they want to talk, not listen and they want to make it absolutely clear to you that they think they are bigger than you are. So let them!

[01:00]  A salesperson I know tells the story of a big union boss he was trying to sell to very tough, interrupted constantly. Finally, my salesperson said, "I'm obviously not doing a good job of explaining the benefits of my services here. May I ask you for some advice?"

[01:18]  Of course, asking a big ego person for advice is absolute catnip, but let's keep going.

[01:25] "You obviously know more than anybody about your organization. How would you present my product if you were me?" This hits the ego trifecta. The salesperson is asking for advice, the salesperson is stroking his ego, and the salesperson has a good chance of making the sale the buyer's idea as he explains the right way to sell it.

[01:50]  Of course, you may get a negative response, but at this point the chances of your closing the business without a strong move are low anyway and we really have seen this technique turn things around, so use it carefully, but as an important part of your selling arsenal when you run up against buyers like Patton. See you next time.

[soft melody theme music]

[02:15] Chris Croner:  Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word until next time. Take care. 

Episode 41: 3 Tips to Make a Great First Impression During a Sales Meeting
This episode reveals 3 powerful tips to making a great first impression during a sales meeting. Establishing a strong first impression is one of, if not the most, important moment in sales. Why? Because from the moment you approach a client, everything you do, from your attitude, to your attire, shapes and molds the client's decision to buy. These tips are game changers.

Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 

Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 28: Learn How Buyers Commit to a Purchase
• Ep 36: Salespeople: Are You Exceeding Customer Expectations 

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest® assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request
 
--Transcript
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]

[00:30]  Chris Croner: Today, we're going to talk about how to make a great first impression during a sales meeting.

[00:35]  Here's a question for you. How long do you think it takes to make a first impression that, get this, lasts a lifetime? One minute, five minutes, one hour? That's right.

[00:50]  Due to what's known in psychology as, 'the anchoring principle,' we have around 30 seconds to make a good or a bad first impression that the other person will never forget.

[01:03]  Those are pretty high stakes for us as salespeople, but you'd be surprised how little people think about it or prepare for these seminal moments. So how can we increase our odds of making a great first impression?

[01:17]  Number one, obviously physical appearance is huge. I realize things have gotten pretty casual these days but there's no excuse for sloppiness. As a rule, I advise clients to dress one level up from the prospect out of respect. Trying to match them is risky. They may not be at their best that particular day, but you must be as you prepare to meet this V.I.P.

[01:44]  Number two, dropping a compliment can actually increase your odds of making a positive first impression, however, and this is subtle, I don't recommend a personal compliment this early. That's a little too intimate. Find something about their office or view or artwork or the friendly receptionist you can compliment. A tactical compliment about the environment is so powerful because you're honoring an element of the buyer's identity and it's so easy to achieve.

[02:16]  Number three, slow down. We tend to talk faster when we're nervous, relax a little. Your prospect will do the same.

[02:26]  First impressions can be incredibly powerful. See you next time.

[soft melody theme music]

[02:32]  Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the sales psyched podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word until next time. Take care. 

Episode #40: How the Best Salespeople Turn Problems into Opportunities
This episode reveals how problems can be used to create powerful opportunities in sales. If a problem occurs, make it work for you!


Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe for Free Now!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
 

Additional ResourcesFor more sales strategies, check out:

• Ep 32: Uncover Your Buyer's Authentic Self to Sell More
• Ep 37: Learn to Identify Opportunities for Relationship Selling

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request
 
--Transcript
[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]
[00:30]  Chris Croner: Today, I want to talk about how great salespeople turn problems into opportunities to make positive, lasting impressions.

[00:38]  Here's an example from a buyer we know who could never forget how a disappointing restaurant experience was turned into an unforgettable gesture.

[00:49]  There's a famous steakhouse in Chicago that's always filled to capacity with the city's who's who and therefore it's very difficult to manage reservations and V. I. P. Walk ins. Nevertheless, the owner is a master at working with the manager to balance the flow. But one day, they let someone slip through the cracks and here's what happened. 

[01:12]  A friend of mine and I walked in, far away through the crowd, and asked the hostess if we could get a table.

[01:19]  The exhausted hostess, who was filling in, quickly told us there were no tables available for an hour and a half, then went back to her list and trying to control the crowd.

[01:33]  We shrugged our shoulders, went back outside and walked down the street to another nice place, but it was raining hard, so it wasn't a great experience.

[01:44]  Anyway, we finally settle into our booth and started to dry out when we spotted a man walking quickly up the street toward our restaurant with an umbrella in the pouring rain. It was the owner of the more crowded restaurant.

[02:01]  He came in, looked around, then came right up to our booth, and addressed my friend.

[02:07]  He said, "Steve, I can't tell you how sorry I am. Cindy, the usual hostess, is out this week and when you came in I was in the back. But when George the bartender told me you had been turned away, I came right over. I have a table all ready to go for you and your friend and a couple of umbrellas here. Can I take you back over?"

[02:34]  Of course, you may have guessed by now that Steve was a prominent businessman and regular and the kind of man whose opinion goes a long way. And although he was not upset, the owner wasn't taking any chances. And by the way, the owner himself was a local celebrity and very wealthy in his own right. So by coming over personally he displayed incredible humility and gave us a powerful dose of importance which washed over us like a warm fireplace on a cold night.

[03:12]   We stayed where we were, but we never forgot his gesture and dined in his place often thereafter.

[03:20]   That's a great story and it demonstrates the powerful psychological technique of recognizing a problem and solving it immediately when emotions are running high.

[03:30]  The best hotels are experts at this.

[03:34]  If someone shows up and the front desk can't find the reservation, the hosts go through intense training to calm the guests down and solve the problem immediately. Even if it means the hotel needs to invest in an upgrade for example.

[03:52]  The key is showing the client that we understand, that we care, and that we are going to do something about the problem right now when emotions are running highest.

[04:05]  See you next time.

[soft melody theme music]

[04:06]  Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the Sales Psyched Podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five-star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word.
 
[04:26]  Until next time, take care!

Episode 39: Try a Creative Approach to Selling
This episode is a friendly reminder for you to try and find new and creative ways to approach customers. Set a goal this year to stand out from your competitors by engaging prospects and clients in fun and innovative ways. Your clients will love you for it! 
  Don't Miss an Episode - Subscribe Now for Free!Subscribe to this podcast today and stay up to date on the latest in sales psychology.
  Additional ResourcesFor more creative selling strategies, check out:

• Ep 16: Sales Expert Thinks Outside the Box to Close the Deal
• Ep 23: The #1 Thing You Can Do For A Client or Prospect

 

More About SalesDrive, LLCAt SalesDrive, LLC, we help companies perfect the salesperson hiring process by offering a variety of tools, like a sales assessment and psychologically-based interview guides, that aid companies in never hiring a bad salesperson again. SalesDrive was founded in 2005 based on the single biggest frustration many companies face, selecting sales candidates who interviewed well, only to flame out when placed on the line. Dr. Croner reviewed more than 90 years of academic research as well as his own work in conducting intensive behavioral interviews and discovered that high-performance salespeople shared three innate personality traits. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, he went on to develop The DriveTest® sales assessment. The only sales assessment to measure the three non-teachable traits necessary for new business acquisition.
 
If you are hiring salespeople, request a free DriveTest assessment today: https://salesdrive.info/free-trial-request
 -- Transcript
[soft melody theme music]
 
[00:00]  Katherine Abraham: Hello and Welcome to the Sales Psyched podcast, where we discuss strategies for leveraging psychology within the world of sales. Each episode is hosted by Dr. Chris Croner, who has a PhD in clinical psychology and has spent his career helping companies around the world build stellar sales teams.

[00:20]  Let's get started.
 
[deep drum, marching intro music]
 
[00:30]  Chris Croner: Dr. Chris Croner here. Today, we're going to think outside the box.

[00:33]  Let's face it, for the most part, salespeople and their competitors are approaching their prospects and customers the same way. It's safe. Predictable. And yet, on the other side, people love variety, new approaches and just plain fun.

[00:50]  My partner and I love to lead workshops with sales teams to try and find new ways of approaching customers. You know, surprises, novelties.

[01:00]  Once the sales team gets out of the box, the ideas can be exciting and extraordinary. Just the sort of stuff that can separate them from the drones they're competing with. So try it. Get creative. Try something new. Turn some heads out there and have fun. Your clients will love you for it.

[01:19]  See you next time.  [soft melody theme music]
 
[01:24]  Chris Croner: Thank you for listening to the Sales Psyched Podcast. If you haven't already, please be sure to click the subscribe button and leave us a five-star review. If you found this information helpful, please consider sharing it. We'd love your help in spreading the word.
 
[01:41]  Until next time, take care!